Thoughts on Peru and the TRC
It was a huge painting. At least 3 x 3 metres. It was part of a show in the Dominican church of San Domingo, built over and incorporating Qurikancha, a central Inca complex in Cuzco, Peru. My congregation, Wilmot Mennonite Church near Baden Ont., had given me the privilege of travelling to Peru for two…
Readers write: June 8, 2015 issue
‘What a blessing’ the Bible is Re: “Bible reading meant less Canadian Mennonite reading” letter, March 30, page 13. The Bible cannot be read like any other book. The truths of the Bible are scattered from beginning to end, and revealed only through the Holy Spirit little by little. The book is hard to understand,…
New mission frontiers
How to plant a church is not a big mystery. Any good Mennonite gardener knew how to take a clump of bulbs from her front garden, split them up and transplant them into the bed at the side of the house. In the spring, the new garden proudly displayed the same brilliantly coloured daffodils and…
My renewed confession: Jesus Christ is Lord
I’m in a beautiful and sorrowful place. My travels have brought me to a stunning seaside within a country that significantly restricts the proclamation of Jesus as Messiah and Lord. Here, unless you were born Christian, you can’t abandon the national religion to follow Jesus. Those who change their mind in that way are not…
Led to a team of fixers and helpers
I am, and always have been, a “doer,” and my late husband was the same. If people needed help, we found a way to help them. If something was broken, we found a way to fix it. I guess God decided we should meet a large team of fixers and helpers known as the Mennonites.…
Readers write: May 25, 2015 issue
History of Niagara Township Credit Union clarified by a founder’s son Re: “‘Mennonite’ name should stay” letter, March 30, page 10. Albert Isaac’s comments about the Niagara Township Credit Union may confuse readers. In 1943, my father A. P. Regier convened a group in Niagara Township to explore the creation of a local credit union…
We’re in this together
When I was called to serve on the Mennonite Church Canada General Board in 2006, church participation and financial giving were in slow decline. The looming threat of cutbacks further drained life from the overall system. In addition, signs of theological challenge were surfacing around matters of sexuality. These and other factors led to the…
Heaven on earth, wonders without end
“There’s a gift for you in my office,” my husband announced cheerily. “What?!?” I exclaimed, puzzled at such a development. He repeated the news and added, “It’s a dress to wear to the wedding.” “What?” I asked again. Now I was even more surprised, though a little, curious pleasure stirred inside me. I had been…
A severe case of ‘generosi-phobia’
On a sunny lunch break while attending high school, I went for my customary walk into town. A classmate drove up in his shiny two-door coupe and offered a ride. Because he had already offered rides to other students, I soon found myself in the back seat beneath a pile of humanity. I panicked. I…
Interdependency at the heart of MWC vision
One minute César García is talking with awe about a postmodern work of art in a thriving Amsterdam Mennonite church, and the next he’s speaking with similar awe about a Mennonite service in rural Malawi where the congregation has little more than a tree to meet under, a make-shift drum and the joy of the…
